Wild Reversal
by The Glass Guardian
Summary: Link is a squire under one of the knights in Hyrule Castle. As he goes on with life, he begins to have dreams of things he never saw or knew of: strange events, fantastic views, and predictions. With the looming threat of Ganon, strained relationships, and conspiracies, Link starts to uncover just why everything seems so perfectly set in time. [Set in the 100-year past]
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Throughout history, the legend of the Sealing Power twisted through myth and truth. The origin name was the Triforce, a balance of legendary power between the three components: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. It can grant one wish to the first soul who touched it. Many generations, from all races have attempted to find this power, yet the one person who managed to find it nearly brought the world to ruin under his rule: Ganon. Fearful of this power, the race of the Sheikah created marvels called the Divine Beasts in hopes of sealing away the power in case a situation ever arose again. Bards of the times would sing about these magnificent beasts, and pass on the legends of the Triforce through their song."

A small Hylian child raised their hand. "Sir?" The elder Rito lowered their head to regard the small child.

"Yes?"

"Can you sing what they did?" A few kids snickered at the thought of hearing the elderly Rito sing; not out of disrespect for the storyteller but rather just the thought of hearing him sing. Knowing that he could catch them in their trick, the elder laughed at the question and cleared his throat.

" _Beasts of burden, beasts of power,_

 _Seal the darkness and bring the sealing light,_

 _Drivers of machine to pilot each,_

 _Train to stop the unending fight."_

The storyteller smiled at the expressions of awe on the children. He never lost being on point with his vocals. Taking the lack of response from the children, the Rito continued with his story.

"Be careful what you ask for," He winked at them, "Back to the story. The Sheikah did not realize the effects of the unending cycle of reincarnation, unlike the being Ganon. They created these awe-inspiring beings, and the generations of the wielders of the 'Sealing Power' – the Triforce of Wisdom - used it to seal away Ganon." He took a breath, "Which brings us to the start of our story. When the latest generation of such wielders realized too late the cunning of Ganon, they paid the price of their entire civilization and could not avoid ruin to their fate: the brave knight, gravely wounded, the sealer barely knowledgeable about their own power, and the beast nearly free to destroy everything." He paused before reaching for a glass of water and continued, noticing the children listening with rapt attention.

 _"Do not rest your mind,_

 _Do not ease your pain,_

 _For Ganon will rise again,_

 _And test your will and might."_

"That was the second verse if I'm not mistaken. Carrying on, the wielder of the 'Sealing Power' found their power too late to save the kingdom, yet they tried to keep Ganon at bay until the knight could recover enough to once again combat him. Yet when he first awoke," He paused and smirked to himself, waiting for the listeners to say something.

One of the children couldn't wait any longer and spoke, "What?" While the others didn't say anything, the elder Rito could see the same question barely masked on their expressions.

"He forgot everything. His memories were gone." A pregnant pause eclipsed the children, shocked at the turn of events. "Yet, despite that, he carried on. Kept working towards sealing Ganon away once again. Quite courageous, that one. But Ganon was still cunning. He knew the hero would be coming, and with the Sealing Power so close to him, he was prepared for his arrival."

"Did he seal the knight away?" One of the children asked. The Rito chuckled at the question.

"No, but he did something quite… unexpected, even for him. But that is enough for today, we can continue this story tomorrow." The children groaned as they stood, chatting amongst themselves as they slowly filtered out of the room.


	2. Chapter 1: Another Day

Chapter 1: Another Day

 _He ran forward._

 _…_

 _…Link…_

 _…_

 _Nothing would stop him, as revenge fueled his desire._

 _…_

A sharp inhale of air quietly echoed through the room. A creak in one of the beds, and its lone occupant slid out from the covers and sat upright with a breath. The knight-in-training, Link, cupped his face in his hands, trying to rub away the remnants of his dream away. He gave a quick look around to remind him of where he was: The knight's chambers, a large room dedicated to the best knights of Hyrule Castle – or knights in training. Occupied beds lined the lower half of the room, filled with the sleeping occupants. Racks of weapons lined the upper, from halberds to swords to claymores. The soft metallic sheen of each weapon glowed in the dim light of the moon, creeping through the main gate to the room.

Link quietly put on his boots and walked up the stairs and through the halls, careful not to make too much noise and wake the other sleeping occupants of the room. Torches lit the way, casting a gentle orange glow along the walls as Link made his way through. It was soundless, telling him of the lack of guards patrolling the inner hall. He made his way to the outside door and gently pushed it open, allowing the cool night air to blow past him as he took a step outside to the courtyard, closing the door behind him. The moonlit stone accented the walls of the castle and paths below and he walked over to the closest staircase to the castle walls.

The moon hung high into the sky, reflecting the sandy peaks over the Gerudo Valley. The spire of the Rito Village. A cold breeze swept past Link and tightened the tunic around him. _It's getting closer to winter,_ he idly thought. He looked around the lower castle walls, seeing the occasional glint of metal weaponry on a pacing guard. The idle night chatter of a passing guard patrol. Flap of wings as an owl hovered above. The silence of the scene brought his thoughts once more to why he was here.

The dream – _nightmare –_ had woken him up, an unusual thing to him. He managed to remember an image of the dream: it was at night, and the moonlight lit up a pool of water, much like a small spring. An overlook surrounded him, the occasional tree dotting the rocky cliff. And in the center stood a large statue of… _something._ He swallowed and quietly stood up, hoping some fresh air would help. It shook him more than he wanted to admit to himself, but confusion was more prominent than dread. _I… have never been there,_ Link pondered on the image. _Why would I dream that?_ He was tempted to go ask one of the sages of the castle in the morning, yet all he could think of is their responses:

 _Why are you asking such a thing? It is just a dream._

 _Forget it. Go train to take your mind off it._

Link sighed, acknowledging the outcomes. _This is why I don't talk._ Of course, it could also be a trick by the gods, but that was doubtful.

 _They wouldn't be that petty, would they?_ Link wondered. A metal clang broke his train of thought and he tensed as he looked over to the source: an approaching guard.

"What are you doing?" The guard prompted, approaching quickly. Link could barely make out their facial features in the dim moonlight, but there was something recognizable about the guard's voice. The guard's commanding tone dropped on arrival, and became a little less tense on recognition of the standing figure. "Ah, trainee Link, my apologies. I am unused to seeing you out here at night." It was a guard that Link was barely familiar with, a passing person who tried to converse with Link on occasion. He was a young guard, older than Link by a few years, and that was the extent of what Link knew about him. He never even caught his name.

Link shrugged in response, but gave no words. The guard looked uneasy, but given prior attempts of talking with the young trainee, tried to brush it off. "Probably stuffy in there, huh? I can't imagine having to listen to the snores of all of those guards." The guard quietly chuckled. "Benefits of night duty I suppose, though I get the day heat in the summer to sleep in." Link merely looked in his direction and flashed a twitch of the mouth to humor the guard. The awkwardness of the situation was too much for him and began to recuse himself. "Well, I should continue my rounds. Try not to freeze," He reminded before taking off on the other side of Link, leaving him alone once more with his thoughts. Link sighed quietly to himself and looked up towards the sky, focusing on the white dots across it.

He had more knight training in the morning, and the break in his sleep tonight started to take his toll on him. _I need to get back for now, and maybe figure this out later._ He turned back towards the Knight's Chambers, walking down the nearby staircase and towards the door.

…

"Good. Ox stance!" Shouted Link's mentor, Arkil. A quick shift in stance by Link and his long sword was high in the air, pointed right at his wooden training dummy target.

It was the morning since Link woke during the night; the sun barely peaked over the horizon and lighting the landscape. Link stood in one of the more open courtyards in the town, south of the castle with his mentor Arkil. Arkil trained Link ever since he was old enough, ever since his parents had pushed him into the training. He was a sturdy Hylian man about twice Link's age, hovering over Link by almost an arm's length. The man typically wielded claymores as longswords and flaunted the fact in front of Link occasionally, much to his annoyance.

"Good posture. Sword tip down just a bit," Arkil commented, circling around Link's stance as he poked the sword down slightly. He watched his stance for a few more moments, watching for any sign of faltering. "Good. Fool stance!" He commanded, and Link quickly dropped the sword into stance with familiarity. The stance was deceptively open, but allowed for very fast counter attacking. "I forget how much you favor that stance. That is good!" Arkil grinned at the sight and quickly pulled the sword out of his hip sheath, going for a quick strike against Link. Link flinched and barely reacted in time, and Arkil's sword locked against the crossguard of Link's. By now, Link had gotten used to the impromptu attacks during stance training. While he knew his mentor would never risk a direct attack at him, it didn't mean there wasn't a bruise or two from such 'training'. Usually from a low kick from behind to Link's calf to prove a point about balance.

"Not bad, Link. You're improving. Though," Arkil slightly circled around the boy, leaving his sword tip pointed right at the Link's chest. "Be flexible. Stances are good, but too rigid at times." Arkil tapped his head and put his sword back into his sheath. "Mind over stance." Link nodded and noted the weakness in his stance, keeping rapt attention on his instructor as he went through several more exercises.

It was Link's daily routine; training in the morning, lunch, expedition in the afternoon with his mentor. Despite his initial resistance to being a knight at first, he came to enjoy learning the stances and spending time with Arkil, among other things. While it wasn't the most exciting life at times, it was his. Though his mentor could be annoying sometimes, Link never thought lowly of the man for all his work and brilliance in a fight. And to Arkil, he was seemingly never put off by Link's quiet demeanor. The boy had given his reason for his lack of conversation, and Arkil understood and knew to never push such things; it was the reason the two worked together so well. The coincidental quiet understanding.

The exercises came and went and before Link knew it, it was lunch time once again and the two made their way up the paths to the castle. Beads of sweat dripped down Link's forehead from the training and he wiped it off with a towel on his belt. "Good work today Link." Link nodded in response, acknowledging the praise. "You know, now that I think of it," He commented as he reached into a small satchel on his waist. He pulled a pair of salted jerky strips out and handed one to Link before taking a bite of his. "I think you're improving much faster than any other person I trained. It's as if you were born for this!" He laughed to himself, a deep bellow. _I've wondered that myself too,_ Link thought. As the pair entered the main dining hall of the castle, the smell of spices and meat hit him.

"Ah, nothing like a hearty meal after training, eh? Jerky only gets you so much energy back," Arkil commented to the trainee, and Link internally agreed. The two walked over to the main line for food, and waited. Bread, meats, potatoes, stew, everything that Link could have thought of was there, and he wasted no time getting his serving and the two made their way to an empty table.

The two ate a relatively quiet lunch, broken occasionally by the clatter of plates from other tables or the laughter of others' conversations. Finding a lull in their eating, Link figured it was the best time to ask a question on his mind.

"So Arkil," The older man looked up. "Where do we plan on going today?" The rest of the implied question being the destination of their daily expedition. Link typically found these the less exciting parts of the day, as they usually involved some kind of politics. That reluctance was something his father would have chided him for, _Link! These are all important facets of a proud knight. You must practice them like any muscle in your arm or they will grow weak._ Admittedly, Link knew he wasn't the greatest politician at least. _Too much semantics._

"So far, the plan is to visit Kakariko Village. We are to deliver some books to them, requested by one of the scholars there." Link nodded in response. "With any luck, we can be back here by morning. I know it isn't your favorite place," Arkil gave a wink to Link and received a slight scowl in response, "But it is important we get them there. They need it to decipher some artifact."

Mildly annoyed at a trivial task, Link audibly huffed. "Shouldn't they have brought something like that with them?"

If Arkil found any surprise at Link giving such a response, he didn't show it visually. "Probably. More forgetful than you after a pint of a lager." He once again jested towards the squire. Link huffed once again and went back to poking at his food and finishing his stew. Arkil merely grinned and took a bite out of a biscuit and downed it with some water. The two continued to eat and watch the audience around them; some knights walked in while guards came and left. The occasional scholar took a bowl of stew and meat before walking back out, presumably to their study. Thinking about the scholars, an idea came to Link. He turned up once again to Arkil.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" The strangeness of the question, nor the length of the question, was not lost on Arkil and he raised an eyebrow in response. "Have you ever had a dream about something that seemed so out of place, that it felt almost real?" Link anticipated the joke that would come out of Arkil's mouth, and while he knew he was apprehensive to say anything about it out loud, at least from Arkil he would get a straight answer. Eventually. It didn't make it any less annoying, however.

"Not recently, but I believe all young men get them at some point in their lives," He dramatically paused in his answer, taking a gulp of water. Link slightly frowned in response. "Personally, I can't say I have though, judging by your seriousness."

Link took the silence to continue. "It was the image of a statue I never saw before in a pool of water. I felt angry as well. And guilty."

"Hmm," Arkil scratched his chin and rested his head on his propped-up arm in a classical thinking pose. "Your mind makes all kinds of things from things you've seen. Doesn't sound out of the ordinary for me. Sure you didn't get mad at someone and tried to break a statue or something?" The blank expression from Link was the response. "I suppose you wouldn't. Regardless, I wouldn't worry too much about it." Link nodded, content with the explanation. _Everything he said made sense, I probably am looking too much into it._ "If I were you," Arkil pointed towards Link, "I would be worrying more about what to take with you on our trip. Last time you did well, but that doesn't mean you can slack off!"

"I know," Link said, "Sword. Shield. Two days of provisions for one day of travel. Some tools." Arkil nodded in response.

"Good. In a few moments time, you can go pack while I go talk with the scholars to retrieve our package." A few moments of clearing the plates away, and the two went to prepare for their trip.

* * *

 **A/N: As far as length, these will get longer and longer for chapters. Let me know your opinions!**


	3. Chapter 2: Remembering

Chapter 2: Remembering

The castle was as lively as any other day, which made Link utilize some of the shortcuts to navigate the busy halls. After a last detour through the castle, Link arrived at the knight's quarters and made his way down to his bed. Arkil had told Link there wasn't much needed in the way of equipment for today's job, so packing would be relatively simple today. He opened his wooden chest, grabbing what he needed from inside. It for his stash of things: traveling bags, whetstones, ropes, and more. Knowing he would be constantly on the move, it made sense to him to fill it with practical items rather than sentimental. He grabbed the chain mail in the chest and strapped it on, and fitted a tunic over it, and strapped the pouches along his waist. Satisfied with his equipment, he headed back up to the upper level and grabbed his shield on the rack. He strapped it snugly to his back, making sure he could easily get it, and walked out the nearby open gate. A quick trip back to the dining hall netted him food for the trip and he headed to the meeting point at the castle gates. As he arrived he found Arkil already there, waiting. _I'll never understand how he gets there so fast_ , Link wondered as he shook his head.

"Ah, Link," Arkil said, finding Link walking down the stone path. He stood brushing his beard, barely looking in Link's direction. He had his usual canvas travel pack on his back with a shield next to it, along with his usual sword at the hip. One thing that stuck out to Link was the pair of iron bracers he wore on his arms, which he must have recently bought. Link straightened himself as he stopped next to Arkil, who had pointed to a satchel on ground with a map. "Here's our job for today. As I said earlier, we need to take these to Kakariko Village and help with whatever else they might assistance with. Now," At the mention of the town, Arkil unrolled the map and held it up between the two. "We can take the usual east path down to Rebonae Bridge and then south to the hills there. They want to meet us on the northern cliff in the village. Sound good?" Link nodded in response, agreeing the route is the most logical way to get there. "Good. Maybe we can make it back before nightfall, eh?"

Arkil stowed away the map in his pack and picked up the satchel of books. "Here, put this on," Link sighed and took it and strapped it against his back, ignoring the amused look on his mentor, and he adjusted his weapons to make sure he could still grab them. Seeing that Link was set, Arkil gestured. "Ready? Let's head out!" He exclaimed and he walked down the path with Link following.

 _Just as lively as usual,_ Link thought as the two walked down to Central Square. The crowds were what Link expected today, with it being just past midday in the center of the town.

"Oh!" Arkil interrupted the silence, prompting the two to stop as they reached the fountain. "I need to go get something from one of the shops here. Mind waiting for a few moments?" By the time Link was about to respond, Arkil was already pushing his way through a crowd of people. Link quietly laughed to himself and casually strolled around the marketplace, biding his time until he returned. He was about to fall into his old habit of looking around when he remembered something: parchment. _Now that I think of it, I should probably write that letter._ It was something that Link had been meaning to do: write a letter to his childhood friend.

He felt slightly guilty at that realization, as it was too long since he wrote last one or visited her recently.

 _I didn't have the time._ He knew it was an excuse, and he berated himself as soon as he thought of it. _It's a letter, not that hard to tell someone to screw off for a few minutes while I write it._ He frowned to himself at the thought. _W_ _ell, maybe not Arkil._

Link turned and headed for the nearby store _Hyrule Books,_ and walked in. It was just as he remembered from the last time: shelves of books lined the walls and nearby tables. Large posters of all sizes filled the gaps on the walls, advertising the latest book or show. Link carefully navigated the isles between tables, trying not to knock over something with his equipment and made his way to the person in the back. He found the parchment he wanted and paid for it, stashing it away in the pouches on his hip and walked out of the store.

Despite his detour, nothing happened by the time Arkil came back and the two walked to the eastern exit of the town. Link looked over at Arkil, finding a slight grin on the man's face and assumed he bought whatever it was he wanted. Arkil caught the look and pulled out something from a small pouch on his hip.

"Fresh from the alchemist!" He held a glass bottle up to Link filled with a viscous orange liquid. _Alchemist's Fire_. "I finally managed to buy a few this time. They even advertised with 'reinforced glass'." Arkil looked extremely proud of his purchase, and Link had to agree: not only were they decently expensive, they were rarely in stock. It was advertised as fire in a bottle, but without the need for a spark to light it. _Handy little weapon._ Arkil carefully put the bottles back in the pouch after the examination, careful not to break them. "Hopefully we won't need any of them before we even get to the village."

They continued to the east gate of the town, avoiding lines of the now thinning groups of shoppers. A pair of guards greeted them as they passed the eastern gate and they began their travel along the road. It was a usual trip; the air was silent between the two as they walked on, just them enjoying the peace. An occasional traveler passed by, but the two made it to Rebonae Bridge before they knew it. It was a simple wooden bridge built to cross the Hylia River, and the quickest way to the east side of the castle across the river. What caught Link's attention the most was a lone person standing on the bridge, looking over the river. The traveler noticed them as they approached and turned towards them.

"Ah, hello fellow traveler!" He greeted. Link nodded his head in response and looked over to Arkil who merely looked at the traveler. A nervous frown crossed the traveler's face, who started talking once again.

"You two are knights, right?" He pointed to the insignia on Link's sword: the Hyrule crest. "I love soldiers of Hyrule, it definitely…" His expression morphed into something else, almost menacing, and Link tensed. "Makes me want to kill you!" A shroud of smoke exploded around him and Arkil had his weapons in his hands in a flash, with Link following a moment later. The traveler reappeared a moment later, garbed in a strange red outfit holding a long sword in his hands. A mask blocked his face, marked with a symbol Link had never seen before. "Let's see, you might have some good stuff on your corpse!" The ninja pointed towards Link and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Yiga clan, huh?" Arkil mumbled as he lowered his head. "Tell you what, I won't even interfere if try to kill him!" Arkil shouted and Link looked over to the man, wondering if Arkil finally lost it. No response came to from the ninja but a moment later he reappeared in front of Link, taking a horizontal swipe at him. A quick block of the shield deflected the blow and Link followed up with a swing of his own, but the ninja was gone in another puff. Judging by the lack of attacks towards Arkil, either the ninja was too intimidated by him or figured Link would be easy enough to take out.

"Be faster than that!" The ninja taunted. Link heard another puff along his side and immediately turned, finding another swipe heading towards him. Link deflected it once again and went for a quick stab, but the ninja jumped away before the sword pierced him and disappeared once again. Link took a breath and focused, realizing he needed to be fast. He dropped into a different stance and carefully watched for any indication of his opponent. A moment later he found it as he heard the creak of the wood below: it depressed and creaked as if someone walked on it. As Link focused on the sound, the ninja reappeared once again exactly where he expected. Thinking quick, Link charged the ninja and blocked the incoming strike from his right with his sword and slammed his shield into his opponent's head. The ninja recoiled back at the motion, stunned, and Link swung his sword before he recovered, catching him along the chest. Dark red stained the ninja's robe and he disappeared in a puff of smoke once again. While Link had no intention of killing the man, he hoped enough shallow strikes like that would deter him from fighting any more.

By now, the drips of blood along the bridge marked the ninja's motion much clearer and Link gained a distinct advantage. Yet before anything else happened, the ninja called out.

"I have underestimated you." Link heard a grunt of pain from the ninja, but he continued. "I will leave you with your life for now." Link watched for any sign of him returning, but Link watched the trail of blood as it moved further and further away to the west. With the danger over, Link put away his weapons and continued along the bridge.

"Why did you leave him to fight me?" Link growled at the other man, upset at him. He put up with all the tests the man gave him, yet this was beyond what he expected from him.

"Because I believed you would rout him. Any sign of hearty resistance from a target and they will run. Now, what did you notice about him?" Link turned back the road, frustration growing in him.

"Cocky? He ignored his own movements?" The man stopped and pointed at him.

"That's exactly it! He was too cocky and left himself open," Arkil pointed out excitedly, "As soon as he transformed and disappeared in front of us, he was an amateur. He showed his trump card and all it needed from your end was to get a better hand. Of course, he could still have had a trick or two, but I knew you would have prevailed," Arkil still noticed the hard look on Link's face and threw a heavy arm around his shoulders, pushing him along. "The point I was trying to show you is never be overconfident like him. He failed the moment he showed himself like that. I admit that was a dangerous test, but you did admirably."

"I see." Link's response was curt.

Arkil's wordlessly moved his mouth, but didn't speak until a few minutes later. "Link, believe me when I say I wouldn't have let him kill you." Arkil offered no other words, hoping Link would understand. They continued walking in heavy silence, leaving Link to mull over the fight.

"You have a point, I do need to learn sometime those kinds of situations," Link admitted. Something else crossed his mind, and he looked over to the man. "You said Yiga clan earlier? You seemed to be familiar with them and how they work."

"Indeed," He answered, and an odd look crossed over Arkil's face. "They're followers of Ganon, whom you know of from the legends. They try to kill anyone who might oppose him, which includes us knights. I had a few run-ins with them myself." He looked over to Link, "While that ninja may have been an amateur, you can bet they are dedicated to their cause." He warned. "Be cautious, as the more trained ones would appear on a moment's notice, not disguise themselves like that."

 _I should expect people like that would try and kill travelers, because it won't always be a training environment. Just like that Bobokin camp we had to take out a few months ago._

…

 _"Alright Link, there's four of them. Remember, watch your footing, your opponent, and keep focused. The monsters won't hesitate to kill you," The two stood behind a small rocky outcrop next to the road. Ahead of them laid a small Bokoblin camp; four of them gathered around a campfire as they roasted fish. It was just what Link learned about them: they were dark creatures that roamed the continent that would kill people who traveled the roads. While they were not difficult to deal with, most of the reports of deaths were from being overwhelmed by them._

 _"Ready?" Link took a breath and nodded in response. "Good, let's go."_

 _The two walked over the outcrop and ran towards the group. The_ _Bokoblins_ _looked over and to their surprise found the duo running towards them. They stumbled as they got up and ran towards their weapons, but Link and Arkil were already next to them by the time they reached them. Arkil swung the massive claymore at the closest_ _Bokoblin_ _and sent it flying; it crashed into the ground and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Link focused on his own target and thrusted his sword towards it, catching the_ _Bokoblin_ _in the back. Smoke emitted from the wound and the monster fell forward, dissipating into more smoke as Link pulled his sword out. By now, the other two already had their weapons in hand and moved to attack them; one with a long wooden spear and the other with a bow. Of course, with it now being two-to-two, the odds were much better. Not that they were bad before._

 _"I got the one with the bow, you take the one with the spear!" Arkil shouted and ran towards the other_ _Bokoblin_ _, moving in an erratic pattern to avoid getting hit with an arrow. Link turned and focused on his own opponent, the spear wielder. Link steadied himself and held his sword low, letting his opponent make the first move. Seeing Link wide open, the_ _Bokoblin_ _jabbed his spear towards Link in hopes of impaling him. He was prepared however and brought his shield up to slam against the polearm, sending it to the side. With his target wide open, he rushed and readied his sword to attack. Just as he was about to swing, he heard Arkil call him out._

 _"Link! Arrow!" The call brought Link to instinctively bring his shield up towards the other Bokoblin, and just felt the impact of an arrow slam into its surface. He staggered back slightly, but held himself up. By the time he turned back to his old target, he was met with the side of the spear about to slam into him. He barely brought his shield up to react and the spear pushed Link away from the swing. By the time Link could steady himself, the spear was swinging around once more and caught Link in the side, throwing him back a distance into the dirt. The_ _Bokoblin_ _quickly moved to his fallen opponent and readied his spear, intent on impaling Link to the ground. Link brought his shield up from his position on the ground, but never felt the impact of the spear. Curiosity struck and he looked over the shield, finding a large claymore sticking through the monster._

 _Link sighed as the creature disappeared in a cloud of smoke, the wood spear dropping to the ground. Link looked around to make sure that there were no more of the creatures left, though Arkil seemed to be uncaring. Arkil gave an awkward laugh, his face twisted between humor and guilt._

 _"Sorry Link, he was already aiming at you by the time I got to him." Arkil stowed away his claymore and helped Link off the ground. "But remember, I won't let something like that kill you!" Arkil always found humor in situations that Link could never, but nonetheless appreciated his mentor's words of assurance. "Come on, let's report back of our success."_

…

While he was caught up in the moment earlier with his frustration, it wasn't that much different to that incident with the Bokoblins. Every instance the two fought together, Arkil showed that he had his back. _What reason do I have to doubt him now?_

"Ah here we are!" Arkil gestured to the grassy hill before them. The cheeriness in his voice brought up Link's spirit and he looked up, relieved to know they were almost there. The hill was on the western side of the village; while there was not a direct road this way to the village, it was easy enough to climb and formed a quick shortcut. Arkil began to run up the hill taking large strides, and Link followed behind. The two reached the top quickly enough and headed down the valley to the village.

Arkil took a quick look behind him towards the sun, finding the time to be about five-o-clock. "Not bad on time. We should have plenty of time to make it back." The two made their way into the village and Arkil gestured around him.

"Welcome to Kakariko Village!" He greeted, signaling past him to continue. Arkil and Link returned the greeting and continued past down the valley into the village. The buildings all had the same style: wooden pillars formed the structure in a pattern, beige walls, and straw lined along the roof to deal with the moisture. "Don't you just enjoy the lovely architecture? It always has such a quaint feeling to it," Arkil described and while Link disagreed, said nothing. He preferred the stone walls of the castle where at least nothing could walk in unexpectedly. They walked through the village, careful to walk around a pair of children playing, and Link looked around the north side of the village for their destination.

"Northern cliff, right?" Link prompted, finding a rugged path leading to the outskirts of the village. Arkil looked where Link pointed, and he nodded in response.

"Seems so. Let's go meet our scholar."

They followed the path out of the village, arriving at a lone tree along the cliff. Under it they found a robed figure standing motionless, watching them approach. Red and white swirls adorned her robe, with her red hair matching the color of robe. She seemed younger than Arkil, though not by much.

"I hope you two are here for the books we requested," She said, straight to the point. Arkil nodded and signaled towards Link, who took off the satchel and gave it a quick inspection. The woman eagerly grabbed it, clearly wishing to inspect it for herself. She quickly pulled the books out and flipped through each, then visually relaxed. "Perfect, exactly what we needed." She ruefully looked up at the two. "My apologies for not introducing myself. Between getting nowhere with these ruins and shooing off children, my nerves are shot. I'm Myvera," She greeted, holding out her hand.

"Arkil."

"Link."

The three shook, and Myvera gestured to the north. "If you wish to see, follow this way. The ruins here match nothing we've seen before, and we're hoping these books will have the answer." She shook the books in her hand to emphasize her statement.

Link tilted his head in confusion, but Arkil answered for him. "Are they that ancient?" She laughed at the question, clearly amused.

"Let me put it this way. We have translators of ancient Goron, Zora, Rito, and any race's dialect you could imagine, and nothing matches the symbols down there. So, I figured, what about something older?" The trio took a few paces to the north, and the sight that greeted Link was beyond what he imagined since the last time.

On his last visit here a few weeks ago, things were only being set up. Some landmarks were being set up for digging sites then, and the occasional surveyor and caravan for supplies made their rounds, but nothing full out like this. As Link looked on now, huge chunks of the hills below were being excavated. Workers moved rock and loaded them into wagons. Trees still dotted the hills as Link remembered, though he wasn't surprised to see some of them uprooted given the large amount of wooden structures through the valley. However, the thing that took Link's attention the most was a large stone arch embedded into the side of a hill. Stone pillars stuck out the sides of some of the hills; the material was a darker color than the surrounding rock, almost a dark gray.

 _Impressive to have so much done that fast,_ Link thought as he took in the view.

"Impressive," Arkil said, mirroring Link's thoughts. Myvera led the two to a nearby scaffolding with an elevator, which they boarded. She shouted something down below, and Link briefly lost his footing as the elevator shook and lowered them. "What have you found so far if I may ask?"

"Just a bunch of ruins with a lot of unknown symbols," She responded. "Every day we manage to uncover more, but we've hit a dead end with the translations. Again," She tapped the satchel of books to finish her response.

The rest of the trip downwards was silent, and Link simply watched the view until the elevator hit the ground of the valley. They stepped off and followed Myvera along the dirt ground, who made her way towards the large stone arch Link saw earlier. Symbols decorated the outside of it, certainly foreign to Link as Myvera described. The part that caught Link's attention the most was the fact that whatever material the arch was, reflected the sunlight; nothing like stone.

"That doesn't look like stone."

Myvera looked back at the boy's statement. "No, it isn't." The response was curt, but Myvera continued regardless. "If I had to guess, it is almost a metal. Even our strongest tools would barely dent it. I imagine the entire hill could be shot with bomb arrows and the structure would still be standing."

The trio treaded on, carefully taking paths around stationary wagons and other workers as to not bother them. Myvera cleared her throat once they arrived under the arch, catching the attention of the two. "We will be heading inside, so please watch your – " A chunk of rock dropped off the side of the hill nearby, prompting shouting from some of the workers who scrambled out of the way. It tore through some of the wood scaffolds, though it missed the nearby workers. " – head." She sighed, but said nothing else as she beckoned them on into the structure. Some workers were inside the ruins as well, but were outnumbered by the multitude of scholars loitering. Some sat on the ground, entranced by some smaller objects. A few leisurely walked along, conversing with each other. They all had a common point as Link noticed: they all wore similar robes to Myvera, though the colors differed.

"I didn't know the Collection of Scholars carried out such large expeditions." Arkil offhandedly commented. While Link was familiar with them, he knew nothing on their operations except the fact they were a group of the most respected scholars and scientists. He only knew that to be inducted was a huge honor.

"We don't. At least, we _didn't_ until this came about." They continued through the large hallway, and Link noticed the hall empty into a large room. Stone pillars rose from the ground in a circular fashion, adorned with the same symbols as before. Myvera stopped before the two reached the center and turned back to the two. "For now, I thank you for these. If you may, stay for a moment longer in the case we need something else." As she finished she turned and uncharacteristically jogged off in one of the direction of a circle of robed scholars on the other side of the room.

Arkil slapped a hand on Link's shoulder, struggling to stay standing from the force. "I say, this has been interesting so far." Link had to agree with him. _To imagine something like this was hidden all this time,_ Link pondered. He was about to respond to Arkil when he noticed a peculiar object on the opposite side of the room where Myvera headed. Arkil noticed the intense look on Link's face. "Something the matter?"

"I – " Link paused, and he took strides towards the strange monument. It was the statue of an old woman seated cross-legged on a square pedestal. The same runes as before lined the pedestal, and a strange marking was crested on the mask she wore: an eye with a blood drop. It was completely foreign to Link, yet…

"Finally!" The shout brought Link out of his trance and he looked over, finding Myvera crouched on the other side of the statue. Arkil approached behind Link and stood beside him as Myvera continued. "It's an ancient Hylian dialect: Sheikah!" Joyous cheers echoed through the room at the announcement, proud of the progress they finally achieved. "Let's see, this reads…" She quieted to a mumble, finger tracing the lines of the book as she looked between it and the statue. "' _Through trial of strength and mind, I stand before you. Always remember what you have learned… '"_

 _Remember._

As soon as Link heard the word being said, between it and the statue to his right, something in his mind latched on to it and the chorus of the other voices drowned out.

 _Remember._

 _Remember._

 _Remember what?_ He questioned, closing his eyes. The word bounced around his head and he reached up to clutch his head, trying to figure out why the word bothered him so much. He felt something shake him, but paid no heed as he kept thinking.

 _Remember._

And just like that, he was in the dream: the same spring of water, the same trees and cliff lined along the sides, and the same statue perfectly centered in his vision. The same moonlight shining down. Yet as Link tried to look at anything else, it blurred as he looked towards it. He tried to focus on the statue, trying to figure out what it was supposed to be, or where he even was, but as he tried to move closer he heard something.

" _…nothing here. I should never have… spring…"_

The vision was gone as quick as it came, and Link blinked a few times to find himself in the same spot: standing in front of the statue as the commotion of the scholars echoed in the room. It took a moment for Link to notice, but Arkil was crouched next to Link with a strange look on his face.

"Link?" The unusual tone in his voice caught Link off guard, and Link swallowed as Arkil looked over to him. "What happened?"

Link tried to formulate a response and looked around before pulling Arkil over to the side. He tried to tell him quietly in a corner what had just occurred, and the din of the voices around him helped.

"I saw," He paused, mulling over the thought. "You remember when I asked you about a dream at lunch earlier?" At Arkil's nod, he continued. "I saw that same dream again. The same spring, the same statue, the same cliffs and trees. When I heard the translation just now, the word _'remember'_ kept repeating in my mind and triggered it." Link closed his eyes as he thought. "This time though in the dream, I heard something else: a voice said, ' _Nothing here. I should have_ '. They said something about a spring, and then the vision ends." Frustration took over Link and he shook his head, trying to understand it. He looked over to Arkil and hoped he had an answer.

"I don't think you just broke a statue then, huh. Your eyes looked glazed over earlier," He said, studying Link. A lull in the conversation formed while the two pondered what just happened, but the silence was broken as Myvera walked over to the two.

"I must thank you two again. I know it didn't seem like much with it being a delivery job, but it was important these books arrived safely. I imagine we might have needs in the future again, though it might not be in the case of delivery." She slightly bowed towards them in respect. "Since it seems to be getting close to sunset, I would suggest you head out now if you wish to make it back to the castle in time." She finished, and just she turned to walk off, Link stopped her.

"Myvera?" She turned at the call, and Link looked back with determination. "I understand if you can't, but may I ask that you let me know if you learn anything major here?" Confusion struck her face, and Arkil assisted before she said anything.

"Remember we're knights for the Kingdom of Hyrule, so don't forget we understand confidentiality. And my trainee here," He threw an arm around the boy, "Happens to have a thing for ancient ruins like this. I think he would appreciate it if you did." She stood thoughtful at the suggestion, and after a moment she reached a conclusion.

"While you're right this is confidential, it isn't something we would keep out of everyone's knowledge. I can let you know ahead of time." She held up a hand and continued before Link gave a comment, "However, if I hear this gets out before we release anything, it's over. Understand?" She questioned with a hard look. Link didn't flinch in his response.

"I understand, I won't let anyone else know." He promised, and Myvera seemed satisfied.

"Good. I will let you know if I learn anything. On your way back, please report our success to the head scholar. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must continue these investigations." With a flourish, she turned and walked back to the small crowd of scholars. Arkil quietly whistled to Link, impressed.

"I didn't think you would be that bold; you must be serious about this. Hopefully that dream was not just you going insane." He stood up and pulled Link to his feet, pushing him along towards the exit. "She's right though that we should get out of here before dusk. We can take the shortcut back, and we can talk about this later if you wish." Link nodded and the two walked back to through the valley to the elevator. After a quick word with the operator, they were on the way up the cliff side. Hunger caught up with Link and he reached into his side pouch, pulling some dried fruit out and took a bite.

"An interesting day today, huh?" Arkil commented, watching the view below them shrink as the elevator went up. "First the Yiga clan, then some shiny ruins and you have a vision. Very interesting indeed." Link listened to the man as he took another dried fruit piece out. True, Link had to admit it was an interesting day. Eventually, the elevator made its way to the top and they stepped off, heading back towards Kakariko Village.

Myvera's earlier comment was true, as Link could see the sun setting through the western hills. Arkil hummed to himself, thoughtful.

"How about this, tomorrow you can take the day to rest." Arkil gave a side look to Link, and Link knew what that meant. "On the condition you win against me." The implied battle was not lost on Link and for the first time today, Link could truly say he was ready.

"Deal," Link lightly smiled at the man, and the two ran towards the western hill they came from. Just as they reached the top of the hill, Link pulled the shield off his back and looped his foot into the strap on the shield. He took a running jump and landed on the grassy hill below with Arkil just behind him. It was something the two would always do whenever they could: shield surf down the hills. Link crouched down a bit, angling around some of the larger dips in the ground. The wind rushed past him and Link felt free from the world.

…

In the end, Arkil cheated and nearly pushed Link off his shield to take the lead and win, but he gave Link the next day off regardless. The two made it back to the castle by the time the sun set, and they made their way up to the head scholar's office in the library. A quick knock on the door, and a voice prompted them to come in. The two filed into the room and closed the door behind them and looked to the head scholar, Kyal. While Link had been in here multiple times, the various trinkets never ceased to interest Link.

"Ah, Arkil and Link, you're back. I assume Myvera got her books like she wanted?" Arkil nodded in response.

"She did, and took us into the ruins." The scholar's brow raised, curiosity spiked his expression.

"Oh? Did she uncover anything?"

"She did indeed; the language there seems to be ancient Sheikah." The scholar clasped his hands together and leaned back in his chair.

"Great! Fantastic! I've read the progress reports from there, and recently they've had nothing of interest. It is good to see something came about from this. I must let the other excavation site know in the case they find something similar." He respectively bowed towards the two at the information. "Thank you for letting me know." Link and Arkil returned the bow and exited the room.

"So, I don't know about you Link, but I'm starving." Link silently agreed, and the lack of answer was enough for Arkil. They took a side passage out of the library and headed down towards the dining hall.

As the two walked, Link's thoughts turned back to what happened earlier. _I don't understand, I've never seen that spring or statue at all. Why am I seeing this now?_ Arkil noticed the creased look on Link from the side.

"Thinking about something?" Link briefly looked over to him.

"The dream."

"Hmm," Arkil stroked his chin, thinking about it. "You flew through it fast last time, but describe to me again this view you had." Link took a breath and exhaled.

"I'm standing in a spring in the middle of a rocky outcrop. Before me lies a large statue of something, but it was too blurry to make out. When I approached the statue, I heard a voice talk about something not there and they shouldn't have done something. And then it ends," Link frowned as frustration filled his senses again. Arkil offered no response as the two continued their walk through the halls, stopping just outside of the dining hall.

"I don't know what this vision of yours seems to be, but I trust your reaction on this. However, for now, I suggest you put it in the back of your mind for now," Arkil held up a hand to stop whatever reaction Link would have had, "I only mean you don't know enough about this. I mean, how many statues and springs are there in the world? If you have another vision of sorts, then we can consider it further. Deal?"

Link mulled it over, internally agreeing at the judgement, and nodded. Arkil's face formed his usual grin and pushed Link into the dining hall. "Good, then let's eat before they take all of the stuffed potatoes!" It didn't take his mind off the letter he had to write that night, though.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know if something doesn't make sense.**


	4. Chapter 3: Recurrence

Chapter 3: Recurrence

Link scratched along the parchment in the cool air of the night, attempting to write the words yet finding none in his mind. It was quite unlike the fights he found himself in, and between that and the training, Link found it increasingly hard to describe the daily events over the past month to his Zora friend. His thoughts were broken at the sound of footsteps however, and Link turned to find the head scholar Kyal delicately making his way towards him.

Kyal would have fit what Link called a textbook definition: thin muscle definition, always nose deep in books or paperwork. He never meant anything malicious by it, but it was sometimes amusing how accurate it was.

"Ah, Link," Glad at the momentary break, Link stood up and gave a polite nod of the head to the scholar.

"Easy, Link. I was only curious what you were doing out so late." The scholar balanced a small plate in his hands, and Link could smell the food wafting through the air. _Probably another late session._

Link relaxed and sat back at the table, turning to the parchment once again and dipped the pen into an inkwell. "I'm writing a letter to a friend out in the Zora's Domain." He answered.

"I see." The scholar left an unspoken question with the statement, but Link merely kept quiet to it as he continued writing. While he would give his opinion around Arkil, and more so around Mipha, he was afraid of saying too much around the scholar. Of course, Myvera was the exception due to that incident. "Now that I think of it, I want to talk with you about something." Link's interest was piqued and he turned in his chair towards him. "After you gave your report earlier, we received a message from Myvera's team less than an hour ago. In short, they discovered a few more things down there, though it's just some minor translations for now. I do suspect they will soon discover something big." He looked at Link, a frown crossing his face. "If there's one thing I know about Myvera, it's that she is usually a – excuse me – hard-ass. Not that I personally doubt you Link after all the work you and Arvil have done, but all I ask is don't make her regret allowing you to see the reports."

Link had no hesitation in his response to the scholar, "I have no intention of making her regret it." Link paused, trying to think of how to word it further, but gave up and closed his mouth. The scholar studied Link a moment more before giving a small smile.

"Very well, Link. If you wish to see any of the reports, simply stop by my office and I will try to keep you up to date."

"Understood."

"Good!" He laughed to himself, trying to clear the tension in the night air. "Now I'm afraid I must go to my office and finish up some last bit of paperwork. I suggest you finish your letter in the morning, as it is quite late now." The scholar bid him good night and walked towards his office, leaving Link alone in the library. He briefly hesitated as he looked at the written words on the letter, but he sighed and crumpled it, tossing it away and deciding to try again in the morning.

…

The next morning, Link and Arkil headed down towards the dining hall for breakfast. They grabbed their food and found an empty table towards a corner, and Arkil filled the silence to inform Link of an official mission given to himself: investigate one of the nearby places for the Yiga clan. Link could have argued that the job fell to either the guards or others, but he could understand why he took it. _Sometimes he's too good for his own good. But who am I to argue with him?_

"I plan to be back by night so it won't be too long." Arkil said, taking a bite of a biscuit. "And what do you plan on doing today Link?" He prompted him, curious at his response and Link looked up from his plate. While Link knew the man was genuinely curious, he also knew Arkil was waiting for a certain response.

Link simply shrugged. "Probably train, and – "

At that moment, Arkil looked up and past Link, who followed his line of sight towards the sound of a small commotion. They found one of the castle residents making their way towards the two, weaving around some of the tables and ducking under other people. The boy looked to be a bit younger than Link, adorned in the spiraling robes like the other scholars around the castle. The boy made the last stretch and stopped in front of Link, taking in nervous breaths.

"L-Link, r-right?" The boy stuttered, looking at him. Link heard a snort and turned back towards Arkil, looking like he was holding back a laugh. Link ignored him, giving his attention back to the boy.

"Yes?"

"Um, head s-scholar Kyal wishes to s-see you." He continued, "He says it is urgent." Arkil's quiet laughs died down as the boy left, leaving the two alone once again. Link turned back to his mentor, finding a small smile on his face; it was one of his famous compliment smiles he would give Link, though Arkil would just find a way to make Link feel awkward.

"They look up to you, you know." Arkil perched his head on his hand in his thinking pose, "The children, I mean. They hear about how well you do in trying to improve everything, and follow your example." Link simply shrugged. As far as Link knew, most of the children in the castle were the same as his situation: brought here by either their parents or someone else to prepare them for training for their lifestyle. If Link being a role model to them worked, then so be it, though he didn't understand what they admired in someone who killed monsters as part of their job.

"I'm going to go see what the head scholar wants. May your weapons be sharp on your trip." Arkil didn't lose his smile at the abruptness of the comment, and Link took his plate and dropped it off at the kitchen.

Before long, Link found himself once again in the familiar library. It was busier than when they reported the mission last night, though not by much. He dodged a person balancing a tower of books and headed towards the head scholar's room in the back, knocking on the oak door.

"Come in," The quiet invitation came through and Link opened the door. He found the scholar sitting at his usual desk, though papers chaotically littered the desk unlike the night before. The scholar himself stood hunchback over the table, not even bothering to stay seated as he sorted around the papers and books alike. Link cautiously closed the door behind and stood in front of the desk, waiting for the scholar to speak.

"Arkil mentioned to me that he gave you the day off today, but if you hear me out I have a request for you." The statement caught Link off guard. In all the time Link knew Kyal, the man was as straight to the point as he could shoot an arrow: he always had some roundabout story or question before he started talking about the reason he requested someone. "There is a message I need delivered to one of the Zoras in Zora's Domain there. His name is Hival, and he is an expert in the ancient Sheikah culture. I need him pulled off another project and moved to the Kakariko Village excavation site. He's a blue Zora, and usually wears the same style of robes of a scholar so you can't miss him. I imagine he would be somewhere in the northern hills near the city, but asking the king should get you his exact location as he regularly updates him on his research." The continued speed and preciseness of the request was most unusual of the scholar, and Link paid careful attention not to miss anything. "While it is a simple request, it cannot wait. Postage will be too slow."

There were multiple other people the scholar could have asked, but the mention of the Sheikah brought the real reason forth. "Myvera found something." Link stated, understanding why he asked Link specifically. Kyal nodded in response and started writing on a blank piece of parchment, brushing a few papers away as they fell to the floor.

"They found some kind of large door in the cavern. Ancient Sheikah wording was engraved along it, but the translations they managed to have are imprecise." He looked up at Link, "With him being phenomenal in their culture, he should be able to translate them more directly." Kyal watched Link, waiting for his response at the request. At first when he mentioned the request, Link was tempted to say 'no' due to the recent circumstances. Yet when Kyal affirmed it was about Myvera's investigation, he couldn't deny it.

"Okay." Kyal's eyes lit up and he placed the letter he was writing in an envelope. He sealed it with an official seal, the red wax engraved with the symbol of Hyrule Castle.

"Splendid! Take this," He handed the letter to Link. "Give this to him, and tell him to head straight there to Kakariko Village. Myvera's team will take care of everything else. And don't worry about telling your mentor: since it is a day's trip and back to Zora's Domain, I will inform Arkil when he arrives tonight about the situation." Link took the letter and delicately placed it in a pouch on his tunic.

"Understood."

"Thank you. Do be careful, as I imagine there will be some monsters still along the path." Kyal said and turned back to his desk, writing something on another piece of paper. Link turned and walked out of the room, heading towards the knight's quarters to pack.

…

If there was one monster that Link could say truly annoyed him, it was the Lizalfos. When they slithered along the ground, their speed was unmatched by any sentient creature and could easily catch an unwary traveler. The easiest yet most dangerous way Link found to deal with them was to look completely defenseless, and then strike at the last moment, just like his current opponent. He kept his sword low to the ground, and the Lizalfos took the bait. Yet, the lizard swung at an odd angle Link barely managed to get out of the way, though not avoiding the monster's sword as it cut along his arm. He quickly retaliated with a stab through its body, where it started to leak smoke out the injury. It was enough and fell over, disappearing into smoke. Link took a breath and pulled up his sleeve, finding a good cut along his arm. _Too arrogant,_ he chided to himself as he wrapped the wound in a tight bandage with his other hand. _Hopefully Mipha isn't too upset when I meet her_.

Aside from the company of monsters along the road and the setting sun, the rest of trip through the hills was quiet. He stopped at the last bend of hills in the Ruto Mountain, seeing the metallic city of Zora's Domain below. The city was not unlike a cerulean monument in a spring, enclosed on all sides by cliffs and waterfalls, with the bridge being the only main way to get in by land. The luminescent blue of the city almost glowed in the light of the setting sun, and Link could understandably see the reason this way a popular painting spot. He carefully made his way down the hills and along the bridge, mindful of the other pedestrians strolling along. The occasional Zora greeted him as he passed by, but none of them were anybody he knew particularly well.

 _This place hasn't changed at all in the month._

At the end of the bridge, Link could make out the main courtyard ahead. It was filled with Zoras conversing, flowing around the fountain in the center as children stuck around their parents or raced along with their friends. Along the upper levels and around the stores, Link could see the city was as busy as ever as visitors and Zoras moved around the marketplace. As the main order of business, Link pulled the message out of a pouch and headed towards the throne room first by taking Kyal's advice, intent on finding the robed Zora. He took a brief glance as a precaution into the various stores as he climbed up, but found no sign of Zora there with scholar robes. With no sign of him, Link walked up the final staircase to the throne room and just as Kyal had said, a lone Zora robed in blue conversed with King Dorephan. At the sight of Link walking up the stairs, the king looked up and something flashed in his eyes.

"If you may Hival, give me a moment with your report." The robed Zora simply bowed at the dismissal and turned towards the stairs next to Link. The style of his robe was fitting, the design almost flowed elegantly as if a river had been painted on it. It was much more elaborate than the designs Link had seen before.

"Wait," Link prompted, stopping the Zora. "Hiral, correct?"

"Yes?" The Zora curtly responded as Link handed the official letter to him. The Zora took it in hand, flipping it over to the wax seal on the back.

"Head scholar Kyal requests you at Kakariko Village immediately. He made extra note to tell you it is urgent." The Zora sighed in irritation and opened the letter.

"If this is another ruin, I…" He mumbled to a stop as he read the letter. He was quiet as he read, eyes scanning each line, and looked up at Link with a less annoyed look. "Very well," He sighed. "Tell him I will make my way to the excavation site as soon as possible. King Dorephan, I will write a report of my research and have it delivered." The Zora said and continued down the stairs, leaving Link alone with the king.

"Do not worry about him Link." He reassured before greeting him proper, "Now, it is a pleasure to see you once again, though it has been too long."

"And you," Link gave a small polite bow to the king. While Link never conversed as much with the King Dorephan compared with Mipha, he still respected him as a leader and an acquaintance.

"So," He clapped his hands together. "What can I help you with?"

"Nothing officially. I was needed to just deliver that message, so I'm here on my own time now."

"I see," The king leaned back in his throne. "Interesting. May I ask what it was that so urgently needed him?" While Myvera bounded Link to not say much, he didn't feel comfortable not revealing something to the king.

"There were some ruins down to the south that needed his expertise."

"Ruins?" The king hummed in response. "Curious. Hiral usually finds them claustrophobic, so it must have been something important to get him to leave."

"They're on the verge of a breakthrough with something they found, so I imagine they will reveal something soon. Besides that, I'm unsure," Link shrugged nonchalantly, but curious himself at the results of what Hiral discovers. Link hoped the answers were satisfying enough for the king though.

"Indeed." Steps echoed in the chamber and Link looked back, finding Muzu making his way towards the king. "I'm afraid I have business to attend to, though I take it you are off to see Mipha now?" Link nodded. "I imagine she's off at the lake now."

A small laugh left Link, amused. "Of course. She usually isn't anywhere else." The king laughed in agreement at the statement. Link gave another shallow bow and turned towards the stairs, but stopped as the king called out to him once again.

"And for the record," Link listened as he tilted his head, "Try to come by more often. I know you've sent letters, but she does miss you on occasion. After all, you grew up with her."

Link sheepishly smiled, "I know. Just -"

"Don't apologize Link. Go," He waved him off with a hidden smile, and Link took the invitation to leave. He passed by Muzu and offered a small nod, but the Zora merely _hmphed_ in response and walked towards the king. Link knew the Zora had no love for Hylians, and though Link was sure he had done nothing to personally earn the Zora's ire, it didn't dissuade Link from trying to be polite to him regardless.

A quick trip and Link crossed the eastern bridge out of the city, walking towards the large East Reservoir Dam. It matched the city in height, a testament to the combined abilities of Hylians and Zoras in the joint architecture.

 _"Alright Link, race!" Sidon said to Link, looking over the ledge into the lake below. "On three." The two tensed, "Three!" Sidon shouted as he dived into the lake below, the child quickly disappearing into the water._

 _"Not fair!" Link shouted down, laughing as he ran towards the stairs up the dam._

Link smiled at the memory, remembering how as a child it was usually a race to see who could get up to the lake the fastest between him and Sidon. With the cliff sides being too rough to climb, Link was resorted to taking the stairs as fast as possible while Sidon took the nearby waterfalls. Link had never exactly beat him in time, they didn't win by a large amount either. It was a melancholy type of memory though, knowing that Sidon would still be just as young, yet Link had to move on in life.

A moment later and Link was at the top of the dam, looking over towards the lake to the east. It was all he needed to confirm the king's words: sitting at the edge of the pier was Mipha. He made his way over, passing by the pavilion on his right that he spent so much time in. While the Zoras typically slept in the water, Link was not afforded that luxury and was thus offered the guest bed there whenever he visited, courtesy of King Dorephan.

He slowly approached the Zora on the pier and announced himself. "Hey Mipha," Link could see her tense as she turned to find Link approaching. She was easily identifiable from the other Zoras of the city: her skin was a deep crimson color instead of a typical blue or light red like other Zoras, and even more noticeable with her usual jewelry adorned around her head.

"Link!" Mipha shouted in surprise and quickly made her across the pier. It was as if worry fueled her movements, as she moved as fast as Link had ever seen her. Though if Sidon was here, he probably would have bowled Link over even quicker.

"I was afraid something happened, Link." Mipha greeted. Between her greeting and the uncharacteristic tinge of worry in it, Link felt a small seed of guilt in his mind. "It's been so long since," She paused and tilted her head, looking down at something on Link's tunic. "What happened?" She looked pointedly towards the dark stain on his arm, hiding the cut beneath. Link flexed his arm around, still feeling the slight sting.

"Some monsters along the road I had to deal with. I got careless and it managed to hit me," He lifted up the sleeve, finding the bandage still holding. "I wrapped it with a bandage, so it should be fine by now."

If Link had looked up at that moment he would have seen the exasperated look Mipha gave him, but he simply took off the bandage, finding a now thin line along his arm where the Lizalfos cut him.

"Link," Mipha quietly remarked and trailed off. She walked behind him and pushed him in practiced motion towards the edge of the pier. "Come on, let me heal you." Link obliged in defeat and sat down on the edge of the pier with Mipha mirroring his movements, holding the wound between her hands. The signature blue light of her power enveloped around the wound, and Link could already feel the pain disappearing. Yet despite her willingness to heal his injuries, Link still felt apprehensive as he always had. It was always a small worry in his mind that at some point he would only see her as a tool, which is why he never asked for her help. He had abashedly approached her before with the thought, but she simply shrugged it off.

 _No matter what you may think, I'm doing this because I want to help you._

Even now, despite a month going by since he last spoke with her, here they were: her taking time to heal him as they sat at the pier edge. While he wouldn't express it directly, he was glad to be friends with her.

"So," Mipha broke Link's thoughts with an awkward noise, prompting the swordsman to look at the Zora. "How have you been?" Link couldn't help but laugh at the situation, humor and guilt swirling in him: he just as headstrong as he was as a child, getting hurt constantly, much like it was now. _In a way, I suppose some things don't change._

"Sorry," Link finally said, ignoring the pointed look Mipha gave him as he interrupted her healing with his laughter. "Busy. I think Arkil tried to fill every day with a mission so that I would go straight to sleep afterwards." He looked up at dimming sky. "I am sorry for not writing, by the way."

"It's alright, you came to visit." Link simply nodded and looked over the lake front, watching their reflections ripple along the lake surface. She was quiet for a moment before looking at Link. "Though write next time, Link."

It didn't require much thought on his end for the response. "I will," A simple assurance. The air grew quiet between the two, and with the recent days being as busy and strange as they were, Link was content to simply enjoy the moment. "How's life been here?"

"Nothing besides the usual squabbles, monster issues, and other small politics." She smiled at him, "You probably have more excitement than we do."

"You can have my spot, if you're jealous. You can be the monster-killing, book delivering princess, and I'll be the Hylian prince for the Zoras," He jested.

"I think you would throw yourself to a Lynel by the end of the week if you had to deal with the politics," She retorted as the two fell into old quips. Link admitted that she had grown out of her shell ever since he met her, though she was the same quiet person around anyone else.

The signature glow of her power stopped and Mipha let go of his arm. Link flexed his arm around, noticing the lack of pain. "There."

"My thanks, Mipha," He nodded his head in appreciation of the healing.

Link thought over to what had happened over the month for a topic, when he thought of something: his dream. While it felt a bit of a heavy topic to start with, he knew that she wouldn't brush it off. Not to mention, she deserved to know considering his lack of letters. While Link trusted Arkil, the Zora that sat next to him had been with him all his life, longer than the mentor had. "So, I have something to tell you." Mipha looked over at him and saw the strange expression on Link's face, a perfect window into the twisted feelings he felt. "There's an excavation site near Kakariko Village right now, and yesterday we had a job to deliver some items to them to help with their research. So Arkil and I went inside and there was writing all along the pillars and walls in ancient Sheikah, along with this strange statue in the back. I was looking at it when they translated the words on it, and for some reason the word ' _remember'_ kept ringing in my mind, and all the sudden I had this weird vision, same as a day prior."

Mipha quietly listened to the story, though she interrupted at the mention of the vision. "Same as a day prior?"

Link was pensive for the moment, thinking of a way to eloquently word it. "Have you ever had a dream, something that felt so real, that you swore it was a memory?" She said nothing for the longest time, trying to decipher the meaning of Link's comment. "Two nights ago, I had a dream like that. I was standing in a spring under the moonlight, and a statue overlooked it. I was angry and guilty at the same, and then I heard someone talking." Link narrowed his eyes towards the lake, the strangeness of it permeating in his mind. "The vision I mentioned? It was the same one as that night."

Link awaited her response, hoping she would have some input. "I think, I had something similar a couple days ago." Her quiet response brought Link's attention, "I dreamt I was over the lake here," She pointed to the lake ahead of them. "I could see the world, and I felt so free. Yet being so high up, I thought I had to be standing on something. Yet when I looked down, there was nothing there. And then I fell into the water," She stopped. The dream seemed to have some effect on her and she quietly looked over the lake. "When I woke, I thought it was just a plain dream. Well, nightmare." She passed a sideways look towards Link. "But the more I think about it, the less likely that seems. That feeling I had then, the fear as I fell from the sky…." She stopped, mirroring Link's quiet observation of the horizon. "I had it again last night, and it wasn't different." He could identify with how she felt due to his own situation, and he patted her shoulder to comfort her. The solemn atmosphere held them as Link tried to understand the purpose of what was going on.

Mipha turned towards Link, regret on her face. "I'm sorry I can't help too much Link, as I'm not even sure what I saw in my own vision." Link waved her off with a small gesture.

"It was more than enough, thank you."

With no more input on the subject, the two turned the topic to mundane things that happened in their life. While the atmosphere never truly cleared, it was more than enough for the two friends to enjoy the rest of the evening chattering.

Link barely noticed as the moon rose over the horizon, turning the lake silver. Link could feel the tiredness setting in him from the day and he stood up, yawning. "Sorry, I'm getting tired from today. Between the trip and the monsters, I'm afraid I'm out for the night." Mipha followed his motion, agreeing with him. They turned and walked back along the pier.

"It seems so. As always Link, you know that the pavilion there is always open to you," She gestured ahead of them, stopping in front of the building.

"Thanks Mipha. I'm afraid I must leave in the morning however. We can still talk then before I head out, though." Link saw a quick flash of sadness on her face, though it disappeared into a small smile.

"I figured as much Link. It is a long walk back to the castle." She looked away, though Link couldn't quite catch her expression. "Good night Link, see you in the morning."

"Good night Mipha," Link responded, watching Mipha head back towards the city. After she disappeared, Link the equipment off his back and dropped it on the floor in the pavilion in a tired pile. He walked over to the guest bed and laid down on it, falling asleep before he even knew it.

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _The same thing._

 _The statue._

 _The water._

 _And…_

…

… _and you will fall._

* * *

 **AN: I tried to clean up the writing a bit. I hope I'm eloquently wording everything, so please let me know if anything feels off about that or inconsistencies and such.**

 **I took a bit of time to clean up the outline, and I plan to have a new chapter a week. As a further note, everything will start to make sense soon if you're confused about the story.**


	5. Chapter 4: Time Waits for No One

Chapter 4: Time Waits for No One

Light filtered over the mountain tops, diffracting over the lake air as the temperate warmth filled the pavilion. Link slowly roused from his sleep, filling him with an unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling; waking up to the fresh outside breeze was a welcome counterpart to the sometimes-stifling air of the castle. He kept his eyes closed, savoring the moment and took a breath–

 _And you will fall._

His eyes opened as he remembered the source: the dream. A voice had called out to him in it, almost demonic in tone, yet it reverberated with a soft duality of another. Though what confused Link the most was unlike previous visions and dreams, this one felt more of a ghost than a memory and the feelings from it were just as ephemeral. No shaking feelings of guilt, no blinding anger. _Nothing, just…a voice, and the spring._

Shaking his head in distress, he swung his legs off the bed and sat upright. _Just like the rest, overthinking it won't get me anywhere._ He looked around, trying to take his mind off. The pavilion was just as picturesque as his memory illustrated from years ago: the style of it mirrored the elegance of the city, reflecting the morning light with a cerulean glow. With the remnants of the dream still clinging to him, he walked over to a bowl of clean water and splashed his face with it as if he could wash it off.

 _"Come on Link, it's just water!" Sidon shouted._

 _Link looked up from his towel, finding Sidon with a large grin that could split open his face. The child had splashed him with water as he slept, though Link took to it by pouring the pitcher of water on the Zora. Sidon laughed, taking the retort in carefree stride._

With the water dripping down his face, he casted his thoughts back to the present and quickly toweled the water from his face. With it still being early in the morning, he looked down to the equipment piled in the pavilion, and it struck him how much it looked neglected. It was mucked and dirtied from the battles from yesterday, and it wouldn't do to leave it in poor condition. While it was monotonous work, but it put a certain ease in his mind considering recent circumstances: no worrying about a monster on the other side of his blade, making sure his stance is proper, and certainly not about the visions. He took the better part of the hour to deal with it, between cleaning and sharpening the blade to scrubbing the dirt and muck off the rest.

Satisfied with the job, Link took a quick trip down into the city and he bought everything he needed to make breakfast for himself. Of course, he could have gone down to one of the many places that cooked food, but he felt it was better to do it himself for today.

He brought it back and organized the food in the pavilion, placing it in order as he would need them. _Rice, water, eggs…_

He hummed to himself and poured some water in the pot, getting it hot for the rice –

A splash emitted from the lake nearby, and Link looked up to find a small Zora leaping out of the lake and landing on the nearby pier: Sidon. Moments later, Mipha emerged from the lake as well and landed next to him. Between the two siblings, Sidon's skin was just as crimson as hers, but he stood at barely half of her height due to his age, being just past a small child in the eyes of the Zora. And like any child, to describe him as energetic would be a bit of an understatement, but at least the young Zora was wise enough at times. Of course, the other times led to the young Zora dumping water on him as he slept. Sometimes it seemed he never truly grew up.

Link wordlessly waved out to the two in greeting, and Sidon started rushing down the pier towards the pavilion, leaving a trail of water, and Mipha, behind him.

"Link!" He shouted and ran up, stopping just short of him. It seemed he restrained himself this time from running right into him. He also didn't latch onto his leg, either. "You're here!" Mipha smiled as she approached the pavilion, not bothering chasing after the young Zora but rather opting for a casual stroll.

"I am. Hey Mipha," He responded and greeted. He turned back to the pot of now boiling water, making sure it wasn't past proper temperature. Satisfied, he gently poured the rice in, letting it settle and careful to not splash it.

"Hello Link." She greeted, and Sidon took the time to wander around the food Link bought. "Sidon saw the light from the fire here and swam for it, so at least he didn't wake you." Mipha explained, clearing up how the two of them were here so early in the morning. She walked over next to Link and took a casual look in the cooking pot.

"You're making breakfast for yourself?" She said, inspecting the nearby food with interest.

"Just some rice and eggs." Link casually shrugged. "I can make more if you two haven't eaten yet," He offered, looking over to her and Sidon. She waved him off, to Sidon's disappointment.

"No thank you. And despite what Sidon might say, he has eaten as well." She looked over at Link, a slight expression of mirth crossing her face as Sidon gave a small huff. "Though, I never knew you could cook," She clarified.

Link shrugged. "Everyone else cooked for me. I suppose I could shove them out of the way and do it myself, but that would come across as rude." He responded nonchalantly, decidedly ignoring the look of exasperation on Mipha's face.

They continued chatting, leaving Link to continue cooking his breakfast. Sidon was wise enough not to mishandle any of the food Link had laid out, but rather stood around patiently and listened. Soon enough, Link finished cooking and ate his breakfast, chatting with the two as he ate. Sidon kept asking about all the monsters Link had dealt with over the past month, and Link indulged him with grandiose tales that even Mipha would add to. Of course, the reality was much more mundane and involved travel most the time, but he didn't let Sidon know that.

As the sun started to slowly rise over the hills, Sidon had to eventually leave and took off in the water, leaving Mipha and Link alone once again. While Link was glad he managed to at least see Sidon before he had to leave, the child could get overbearing on occasion. A fact that Mipha noticed as well.

"So," Link started, and Mipha turned towards him. "My knight training will finish soon. From what I can remember it will be on my eighteenth birthday, which is about a week out."

"Congratulations," She offered, glad for Link. She was quiet for a moment, thinking about something. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" She softly added, and Link nodded. _Indeed, it has._

"Eight years." It was a date he never would forget. _Sometimes I've wondered what will happen after I finally prove myself as a knight. Recently, I haven't given it too much thought, and just worrying about the present._ He looked down to his now empty plate, idly pushing around a grain of rice and mulled it over.

It was true: he tried not to think of the future too much these past days, but it was now getting difficult to deny and it was starting to eat at him. There were growing rumors slowly spreading, between more monsters inhabiting the lands and the increased presence of the Yiga Clan, that were beginning to bring the inhabitants of Hyrule Castle and the town on edge. Link could start to see it in their eyes: a nervous flickering towards nothing in the occasional citizen. The knights of the castle were strangely tense at times. Only minor details, but something was happening, and it couldn't be denied: the old legend of Ganon might be coming true.

Which brought Link back to his test: if he proved himself and became a knight, what could he even do? Constantly taking jobs seemed insignificant considering everything. Helping the random citizen would only be temporary. He could keep clearing the monster dens that dotted the lands, but again, that would only be temporary as well. Of course, this was a bit more personal than sharing an almost impossible dream that occurred, and it didn't feel right telling this to Mipha. Regardless, Mipha brought him out of his reverie by placing a hand on his, trying to still the slightly nervous movement of the silverware on the plate.

"Hey," She said, bringing Link's attention to her. "No matter what happens, I think you'll get through it." She opened her mouth and closed it, shaking her head. "No, I _know_ you will get through it." She emphasized, and Link could feel the force in her words and nodded.

"You're right," He said with a small, thankful smile; while it didn't ease his mind entirely, it was enough for the moment. She gave him her usual smile and gripped his hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Before you leave, a quick spar then, perhaps?" She asked. As per their little visiting custom, they always tried to have a spar before he left back for the castle, and Link never passed an opportunity to hone his skills. It was something that Mipha didn't even need to ask and Link nodded his head, appreciative of the change in mood. She left to retrieve her trident, leaving Link a few moments to get his newly cleaned sword. She quickly came back with her own weapon and they prepared their weapons, making sure to use the flat sides of their weapons. The arena they decided on was simply the dock they stood at, as there was more than enough space to practice. Before long, the spar evolved into an occasional clash of weapons and a lot of dodging.

Mipha looked over to Link down the decorated trident she held, and Link looked at her over the blunt side of his blade. He had forgone his shield for the match, deciding he needed practice with the blade alone. Now, the two were locked in a constant stalemate: the first of its kind. _She always managed to be unpredictable,_ he thought to himself as he circled his opponent as he observed her movements.

"You've improved," The quiet complement reached Link, and he cracked a smile in appreciation.

"And so have you," Link responded back, quite impressed at her constant footwork. Link had multiple attempts to get her to lose balance through feints, but she always seemed to keep it as she skillfully dodged his attacks. With Link, she attempted to keep him at a distance with her spear, but Link would lock up the trident with his blade and swerve around to get closer. And so, the two were locked in an ever-present dance between duelists.

Link could see that he was on much better terms with his skill than previous spars, but stalemates were not too much better than straight out losing. _The longer this goes, the more of a disadvantage I'm at._ It was something Arkil told him in passing a while ago, the differences between the races.

 _Now see, unlike Hylians, the Zoras have much more endurance since they obviously need to swim and all that, right? Which means if you ever get into a fight with one, you better end it early or you'll just end up on the dirt._

Link took a deep breath and focused himself, taking a different two-handed grip on the sword and charged forward, attempting to catch her off guard. He kept the sword low to the ground as he moved, feigning an opening. She raised the trident in defense and backed up, and Link quickly batted it away as he moved past and continued his charge. Her response was unexpected as she let the trident carry down into the ground and jumped, letting it assist her in a pole vault over Link. It was her strong point: being able to quickly maneuver around the fight and keep distance from her target.

He skidded and ran back towards her, preparing his weapon as she landed a few paces away.

 _At that position, she can easily slide the weapon up for the kill._

Just as he anticipated, she let the tip of the trident slide towards him along the ground and Link had to quickly balance himself lest the weapon trip him, and he quickly dodged to the side after as the weapon raised into the air, cleanly pointed as his chest a moment ago. He batted the weapon away once more with his sword and almost raised the flat side to Mipha's head, but she swerved out of the way and crouched, sweeping low with her leg and trying to once again throw him off his feet. It was one of the disadvantages: being this close with the sword did yield him within range of simple melee attacks.

He jumped back at the motion, and once again Mipha had control of her trident. There were a multitude of attacks he could have done then, but most of them consisted of her being one limb less. _If only I could move faster…_

Mipha flashed a smile as she lowered her weapon, "I'm glad you've improved, Link." Link mirrored her response, an indication the quick spar was over. She must have been paying more attention to the time than he was, as a quick look in the sky showed it was about another two hours until noon. With the trek back to the castle taking almost three-fourths of the day, Link realized he would have to leave soon if he wanted to make it back before sunset.

Link flashed a small smile as he turned back towards the pavilion and Mipha trailed behind him, and she stopped just outside the entrance.

"I surprised you ended that spar early," Link sheathed his sword on his back and grabbed the pitcher of water, pouring some water into a cup.

"Well, I wanted to see if you got any better. Besides, someone needs to keep track of time," She verbally poked and Link tried to retort, but forgot he was drinking something and spluttered. Link countered her innocent look by narrowing his eyes in mock irritation between coughs.

"Right," He responded, coughing a last time as he refilled the cup. She simply smiled and took a few steps towards the pier, though Link caught the hint of sadness in her eyes that her smile betrayed.

"I take it you need to leave now?" Mipha softly asked and Link gave a solemn nod. She couldn't see it, but the silent response was enough. A warped peace overtook the two as they watched the shimmering lake: Link didn't particularly want to go back to the castle. Of course, he knew he had to: Arkil would track him down if he didn't, he had to finish his training to be a knight, and a multitude of other things to accomplish. He internally prepared himself and turned back to the pavilion, seeing if he left anything behind as he set his cup down. A brief glance around and he gathered his equipment, strapping his shield and the pouches to himself. Satisfied that he gathered everything, he turned towards stairs down the side of the dam and Mipha quietly trailed him.

The walk back to the main city bridge was quiet between the two, for anything else that needed to be spoken already was. It was the quiet understanding between the two of them that Link appreciated, a break from the rowdiness that happened to radiate off Arkil most of the time. After a quick farewell to the king, they passed through the city, acknowledging the occasional hello towards Link or Mipha as they passed by with a nod or a soft hello.

Before long, Link found himself at the bridge out of the city and stopped with Mipha following suit.

"Don't worry: I'll write again. Hopefully I won't get as busy as this month." Link said, but Mipha shook her head in trust.

"You already said you would, you don't need to reassure me Link." She responded, leaving Link quiet.

"Right," He said, unsure of how to continue from there. "Well, you take care Mipha."

She responded with her usual smile and tilt of the head, "And you too, Link. Try not to get injured on your way back this time," She said, and Link merely flashed a smile in response and walked down the bridge, leaving the cerulean glow of the Zora city behind. As he traversed the bridge and the winding hills beyond, he did start to wonder about the rest of the world: how was Myvera doing? And if Hiral was already at the excavation site, did he discover anything yet? After all, he couldn't deny that the world moved on.

…

Just Link previously thought, he barely made it back to the castle as the sun started to set. He made his way through Castle Town and despite the time of day, it was still busy as crowds gathered around. He weaved through them and up the path towards the main gate of the castle, finding Arkil standing nearby. At the sight of Link, he strode towards Link determinately.

"I see that you went off and took two days for a break even though I gave you one," He greeted. Despite the way Arkil worded his sentence, the playful tone in his voice betrayed his words. "Thinking you can get a two-for-one deal or something, eh?"

Link shrugged. "Kyal wanted – "

"Wanted you to deliver a letter, I know." Arkil cut him off as they made their way through the castle courtyards. "I imagine something like that would pop up, though it seemed to be a simple job." Arkil glanced over to Link, eyeing him up for something. "And I see you're no worse for wear. You're still alive, and not missing any limbs. Though," Arkil pointed to the darkened spot on Link's tunic. "It seems someone didn't miss you. Might want to get that checked." Link looked to the spot, and minor frustration welled in him; he couldn't get that spot clean by the time he left. He made a mental note to have it taken care of later.

"A monster got a cut on me before, but Mipha healed it." He clarified, making sure that Arkil knew it was taken care of.

"Mipha, huh?" He repeated, but said nothing further as the two entered the only place Arkil would go to now: the dining hall.

It was certainly a stark contrast to his breakfast this morning in Zora's Domain: the dining hall was filled with voracious chattering of its inhabitants as Link and Arkil once again sat at their usual table. At least in Zora's Domain, there was the tranquil view of the lake in the peace of morning. Here, it was alcohol-stained oak tables and the clattering of dishes and cups as guards and knights journeyed through. _Though,_ Link pondered, _it does have a homely charm to it now. Balance of each, I suppose._

Link decided to take his mind off the wooden scenery and turned it towards Arkil. "How did your job go yesterday?" Link prompted curiously, and Arkil gently put down the drumstick he ate. If there was ever a confused look on Arkil's face, this would have been it.

"I don't know. They wanted me to check out the excavation site in the south-west, but when I got there, they were fine. They said they never reported anything." He said and took a drink from his mug. _Strange,_ Link wondered.

"What do you mean, they never reported anything?" Link questioned. "How else would you have been requested to go there?"

"That's the thing: I don't know. Maybe a mix-up in a message." It was another strange thing to Link, to hear the man say _I don't know._ Usually everything matched up in some way, but now? Regardless, he left it alone well enough as Arkil changed the subject.

"Anyway Link, never mind that. There's something important I need to talk to you about. Finish up your plate and then let's go." Link realized it must have been serious if Arkil wanted to talk to him in private; the public setting of the dining hall never put off the man from speaking his mind before about other important matters. He didn't argue about it though, and Link quickly finished his meal and the two returned the plates. Link followed Arkil outside towards the castle grounds and the duo made their way towards a secluded castle wall, unoccupied by guards. _This is probably the most dramatic scene Arkil set up thus far_ , Link idly thought as the two stood alone. After a quiet moment, Link could feel the piercing look from Arkil as he turned towards Link.

"I've been told to bring you up to speed Link: it's time to talk about the role you will be soon be in, since your training is almost at an end." He was oddly direct in the situation, and a determined look fell on Arkil's face. "As you know, your tests are coming soon to prove whether you can be a knight. It is a task you will uphold with the upmost respect and duty, through your own life if must be."

Link quietly focused back to the man, trying not to portray his inner thoughts on the subject.

"The tests will begin on your eighteenth birthday, one week from now." He loudly cleared his throat, no doubt trying to be professional with his speech, though Link had already known the tests would be on his birthday. _I suspect that is not all of it._

"While these are all things I've been teaching, I feel the need to reiterate them. First and foremost, you will be expected to continuously work for the kingdom. Second, keep discrete. Even though people will be able to pick you out of the crowd, that doesn't mean they know what you're capable of. Element of surprise, right? For the rest, it's more of common sense, though I'm sure it'll be outlined for you." The dimming sunlight outlined a small smile on Arkil's face. "As far as the test itself, I've been told, ' _We will explain everything to him about it on the day.'_ " He winked at Link, "I couldn't leave you completely in the dark, though. You know, like the sunset here." Link would have audibly groaned at the awful use of visual aid, but knew well enough to leave it alone. "Though if I may say, I don't think you'll have an issue with the test, whatever it may be. I've said it once, but I'll say it again: you're a great swordsman, and I imagine you can only be one of the best with even more training." He patted Link on the shoulder, "Of course, I wouldn't go charging a Lynel because of that, despite how reckless you might be sometimes." Arkil humorously assured him.

Link was glad for the encouragement, though an unwelcome nervousness did slowly creep in. "I understand."

"Good."

Nothing more was said. They stood along the wall under the sunset, and Link suspected it due to Arkil giving him time to consider everything, a moment he gladly took. How would he serve? What kind of things would happen? Furthermore, would the others hold him to as high a standard as his father was? There was a multitude of things to think about. Yet the more he thought about it, the more Arkil came to his mind.

All his training life since he was ten, Arkil was there since Link's father had passed. He pushed him, not in a way unlike his father, but different at the same time. While his father sometimes threw him to the wolves so to speak, but he did so knowing that Link could handle it. With Arkil, he would do the same thing, but he would be a bit more proactive rather than reactive like his father. He taught him how to hold a sword, how to keep proper posture, how to fight. How to clean your weapons, how to properly deal with others. He scolded him, taunted him, and occasionally took care of him. In fights, he was reckless and proud, something that Link himself probably learned from in his numerous skirmishes with the roaming beasts. The best way Link could have described him was a Goron in Hylian form. Yet in the time Link had known him, Link never outright expressed gratitude towards him.

"I may not be the best at expressing my emotions," Link quietly offered, and Arkil looked over as he spoke. "But I am thankful for everything you taught me, Arkil. So, no matter what happens in the test or afterwards," He looked towards Arkil determined. "I am glad you taught me. And until that time of my final test, even if we work together only once more, I won't regret it."

…

The next morning Link awoke from a dreamless sleep, but the way he awoke was much different than other times. The loud clang of metal echoed through the knight's quarters, and Link opened his eyes to find the room clearly lit.

 _I didn't sleep in, did I?_

Confusion started to fill him, and he looked to the upper floor to find a multitude of knights gathering equipment and walking out the day gate. It was extremely unusual, as on closer inspection, they seemed to be taking multiple weapons at once: not just their own. Fully awake, Link got up and slipped on his boots, throwing on his tunic and walked up the stairs.

Link looked out the day gate, but the sky was barely lit which clearly meant he didn't sleep in. _Then what is happening?_

"What in blazes is happening? It was one night," A voice said, and Link looked to his left to find Arkil making his way through the main entrance. Link simply shrugged as he was confused himself, though if Arkil was already up, it was strange he didn't know.

"The king sent out an order today, we're going to mobilize. Something about some ruins they dug up." One of the nearby knights explained, reaching and taking a polearm in his hands. "I suggest you get ready yourself, squire Link and Sir Arkil."

Link looked over to Arkil, hoping they were on the same page: only one person would know about a 'dug up' rock.

Regardless, breakfast came first and Link and Arkil headed once more to the dining hall. Just as it was in the knight's quarters, a new atmosphere emitted throughout the castle: excitement. The strange tenseness of recent days was gone, replaced as people bustled through the castle and along the outside dirt roads, and on more than one occasion Link had to dodge a courier as they carelessly walked past and almost into him. Outside, they passed a dozen guards organize themselves along the road, talking amongst themselves. They stood in full uniform, down to the plate mail and weapons. Link had to look away though, as the reflecting sunlight shined right into his eyes. He turned, seeing a group of residents carry boxes down to the castle gates. Link never saw a busier day than this.

The dining hall was even worse when they entered: people moved into the kitchen and moments later brought out packages, doing an awkward dance to avoid walking into others. Whatever was happening seemed to require food, so either it was a long voyage to their destination, or they were delivering it somewhere. Link continued to scout around; while the line for breakfast was as long as it ever was, the dining hall itself was packed as practically all the tables were filled as characters of all types loitered. _Whatever they dug up must have been important,_ Link though.

Soon enough, they reached the end of the line and sat down at their table, finding just enough for the two at the usually empty place. Among him and Arkil, Link spotted various knights suited up in armor, albeit their helmets sat on the table beside them. They quickly finished their breakfast and made their way to the library, making their way straight to Kyal's office. Even there, in the usually quiet library, the place was just as busy as it seemed elsewhere as scholars piled books and scrolls into traveling sacks. Link stepped around the piles of parchment near the head scholar's room, though Arkil seemed to have trouble with a stack of books as he narrowly avoided knocking them over, and Link kept his mirth to himself. Link knocked on the familiar door, and a quiet _enter_ sounded through the door and Link walked in along with Arkil.

The only usual way to describe the state of Kyal's office was a state of a perpetual tornado, but today it seemed even worse. Books and papers were haphazardly laid on the ground now, and only a small path seemed to be visible in the carpet below.

"Link and Arkil, great timing! I was just about to send for your two." Kyal greeted eagerly and stepped around the table, sliding to a halt just before a pile of papers. "Watch your step as there is a method to the madness in this room, despite what it seems." His expression quickly morphed to seriousness as he ushered the two in, closing the door behind them. "There is something important you should know. Especially you Link, considering how you wished to know." The two stood in front of the desk and Kyal took a position behind it, not bothering to stand, and turned towards Link, a blank expression evident on his face. "Link, have you heard the growing murmurs going around about the return of Ganon?"

Link nodded his head. On occasion, when he passed along the castle town below, he could catch small snips of the topic from crowds.

 _Have you heard? It seems there's more monsters around._

 _It does seem more dangerous out._

 _From what I've heard, something is happening._

"In passing, yes. The town and the castle here have been slowly getting tense." Kyal nodded, satisfied.

"I think I should start from the beginning. About a month ago, we captured a member of the Yiga Clan and took them to the dungeons below. They were caught sneaking into the throne room, and subsequently brought down there. I believe you two were out on that day, yes?"

Link nodded. At the time, they were on an expedition to clear out one of the larger monster complexes to the north-west, and was the main reason he was unable to write to Mipha.

"In short, I was told the dungeon guards _politely_ asked him questions, and there was only one response: _'Bow before Ganon.'_ " Kyal sighed, disappointed. "While the king had his suspicions at the time, it only reinforced them: Ganon is coming back soon. And so, the king ordered the two excavation sites you know now."

 _That makes sense. I suppose only two makes sense as well, considering it was more than enough to prove the locations of the Divine Beasts._

"Tell me," Kyal promptly said, "Do you know the ancient legend of Ganon?" The abruptness of the question caught Link, but he responded a moment later.

"Briefly. A long time ago, the princess and the chosen knight worked together to seal away Ganon. With them, they had the power of technological beasts, the Divine Beasts, and champions to pilot them."

"I see," Kyal nodded, satisfied. "Simplified, but yes." He pushed some papers away on his desk and pulled out a small book and flipped to a specific page. "To put it precisely: _'Every ten thousand years, the destruction of the world would be seen to by Ganon. The Divine Beasts shall pave the way, and the Knight and Sealer shall cast away the darkness._ ' It tells of the reoccurring prophecy, of how the world will be challenged with combating Ganon. It was brought to the attention of the king today, which is why you see the frenzy happening outside." Link pondered it, thinking over the story.

 _Ganon, the being of hatred incarnate._ It was a name only spoken of in legends, but it was now that the story fully hit Link: he was truly returning.

"I appreciate the story, but why was it brought to the king's attention now? I imagine he already knew the prophecy." Arkil answered, something that Link appreciated, and Kyal simply hummed in response and scrambled papers around his desk, pulling a series of parchments off the desk.

"I think you two should see this." He signaled Link over the table and pointed to the parchments. Charcoal scratches crossed along it the papers, forming into a series of symbols along the indents in it. The multitude of papers along seemingly continued the visual, almost taking up the width of the desk. While he couldn't read the symbols directly, they did resemble something familiar, and Link quickly realized they were the same symbols he saw back in the Kakariko Village excavation site on the walls.

"It's ancient Sheikah language, isn't it?" Link questioned, and Kyal answered with a nod.

"Remember the door I mentioned they found the other day?" The two nodded. "The following letters were lined along it," If there was ever a serious look on his face, this was it. " _'The Divine Beast Vah Ruta stands before you. Call the name with the voice of your champion and they will be judged.'"_

 _A Divine Beast._

 _A technological being of immense power._

Kyal continued, oblivious to Link's thoughts. "Naturally, the king ordered the full excavation of the site and ordered that they send him whatever request they need to accomplish it. And so, that brings me to my request for you two, something the king personally asked of. I realize that you, Link, have your knight's test coming up in a week so hopefully it will not push it back." Kyal tapped on a nearby book, enforcing the request with the motion. "The prophecy speaks of a few pieces, but what the king requests is to find only one of these: The Sealing Blade. From what we know, the blade is guarded by trials, and the location of the blade itself is lost as well. Multiple people were sent around the world, trying finding people who fit descriptions of the ancient hero, only for the results to be fruitless as they returned back." He sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Same with finding the sword itself. For now, I want you two to search and find someone similar…"

Something clicked inside of Link's mind, and a dull pain started inside. He flinched, but the motion was unnoticed by the other two in the room.

 _Link._

Something called out to him, something so soft on the wind that he could have mistaken it for a breath. He briefly looked around, but neither of the other two inhabitants in the room seemed to notice anything.

"The king himself? Why wouldn't the Royal family know how to retrieve it?" Arkil said, but the tone in his voice started to twist, and Link found his attention on the conversation waning.

"Personally, I think because even they lost knowledge of the blade. Of course, the prophecy states that the hero will arise of his own accord, but…" The pain started to flare up in his mind, and Link had to resist drawing attention to himself. "…the king wishes to find someone before then…"

 _Again._

 _It was happening again._

The words of Kyal slowly murmured out, and this time an unbearable pain shot through Link's head and he clutched at his head and gritted his teeth, and ignoring the reactions of the other two. The feeling was like a bone being broken to allow it to heal properly, though this was far worse and none of the other visions he had were like this. Nothing soothed the pain, but only one thing swirled through: the echoing words of the _Sealing Blade._

 _…_

 _And he was there._

 _…_

 _All around him, was the forest of the Lost Woods. Tall, winding trees reached up to the sky as small spirits of the forest bounced around the open air. Small leaved creatures danced in the air, seemingly suspended. The world could have stopped, but Link would never have known given how separated the atmosphere seemed to be. Instead, he looked down and in front of himself, finding a strange pedestal and behind it stood a large tree, possibly older than the castle of Hyrule. The aged bark swirled along its surface, morphing into various shades of brown that no doubt showed its age._

 _"So, it seems one has finally made it way here." It spoke, almost uninterested in the boy who stood before him. "I had suspected this for a while now, considering the unveiling of the Divine Beasts. Yet, it seems you are not like the others. I sense…" The spirit paused, contemplating something. "Never mind."_

 _"Who are you?" Link asked, looking up to the face formed in the tree._

 _"I am the guardian of this forest, but it does not matter, does it? You are here for what lies before you. The Sealing Blade. The Master Sword." It said. There was no uncertainty in the comment, only a statement. Finality. "Take it, if you dare. Others have tried, but the sword denied them all. In exchange, it took their life for their selfish desire. I wonder, is that the same wish you have in your soul? Or is it something else?" The accusation was meant to pierce, but Link was filled with resolute determination. He wouldn't back down, not now._

 _Link walked forward, finding the sword ahead. The purple hilt stood proudly in the air, and even from the distance he was at, Link could almost feel the aura around it. The sleek metal of the blade was embedded in the pedestal below, and the insignia of a triangle was inlaid along the blade._

 _"And if so, do you have the strength in your heart to prove it?"_

 _He reached forward, and…_

"Link!" A shout brought him from his dream, and he opened his eyes. Strangely, he looked upon the ceiling of Kyal's office, and a moment later he realized he was lying on the floor. His head continued lightly ache, but the pain was mostly gone at least. Yet what occurred to Link was…

 _This dream was a memory._

The feeling finally dawned on him: there was nothing fleeting about it, nor mysterious like the previous visions. This was clear: this had already happened, and he was somehow remembering it. _Or was he?_

Link internally groaned, trying to think. _I never visited the Lost Woods, but at the same time it's familiar. And the Master Sword? What is this?_ Link massaged his temples, trying to focus on the vision. Yet despite this, there was something he couldn't let go of: something was there in the Lost Woods. _Why is this happening? What…_

Link felt someone gently pull him upright, and opened his eyes to find Arkil assisting him.

"What happened?" Arkil probed and Link looked around, finding Kyal as well kneeling next to him.

"Indeed, that was most…peculiar." Kyal added, inspecting Link as if the damage was physical.

"I - " Link said, and reached up to massage his head again. "I - nothing. I don't know what came over me. I had a headache and then… I passed out." Link full well knew what happened, but for now he didn't feel comfortable revealing it near Kyal. The man seemed decent enough, especially after the years of working with him, but he wasn't on the same level of trust of Arkil or Mipha. He gave a pointed look towards Arkil as he said it though, and the man nodded. _Hopefully he understood._

"I see, Link." Kyal said, slowly standing up. "It is good you are better, though I suggest you head to the infirmary. You were out for about a minute, but a headache and then passing out? I don't suspect that is something to take lightly." Kyal added and walked over to his chair, cautiously taking a seat.

"Yeah, I agree." Arkil helped Link stand up, letting him lean on himself. "Let's take you there now." While Link felt a bit dizzy, there wasn't much of a repercussion from the vision. Regardless, he was curious about something yet.

"Wait," Link signaled Arkil to stop assisting him towards the door, turning back towards Kyal, "You didn't explain all of it."

"Pardon?" Kyal questioned and looked up towards Link, unsure of what he meant.

"You talked about finding the Sealing Sword, but said that was the only piece you needed from us. Who is taking care of the rest?" Link caught himself from almost saying Master Sword, finding the word somehow naturally in his vocabulary. Kyal placed down the paper in his hand, leaning back in his chair in thought.

"Well as far as I know, the king said the part of the Sealer is already taken care of. I suspect something due to their Royal bloodline, but he gave nothing concrete. As far as the other Divine Beasts, I imagine finding them will not be far off since we already found one, following the legend that there will be one around each of the major civilizations of the continent. Of course, it is a sample of only one, but I have high hopes. For the Champions, they were of exceptional skill and from each of the different races. I imagine that it be only fitting that each Champion in this age to be decided by each of the rulers in the area, though I have a feeling the Divine Beasts will choose themselves."

Link mulled over the thought briefly, then nodded in satisfaction.

"My thanks." Link and Arkil carefully walked out of the room, with Arkil escorting him out and closed the door.

"Are you good?" Arkil asked him, and Link nodded as he shook himself off Arkil's support. The headache was gone now, and he felt well enough to stand without help.

"Yes," Link responded, then turned to Arkil. "I think I know where it is." Confusion etched through Arkil's expression, and Link continued before he said anything. "I need to do this alone, however."

"Sorry?" Arkil questioned with narrowed eyes, but there wasn't any malice in the response but rather confusion.

"The Sealing Blade. I know where it is." Link clarified. "I don't know why, but it just seems like it's something I need to do by myself." Arkil turned his head.

"Link, are you sure what you saw was… real?" Arkil cautiously said, wary of what Link must have seen. "Besides, that isn't our job. The king wished us to find someone who matched – "

"Do you trust me, Arkil?" Arkil said nothing as the two stood in the library, leaving the din of the library to drown out their conversation from the rest of the world. It was the first time Link was being truly assertive, but something strongly resonated throughout him as the vision swirled in his mind: he was near the tip of the precipice, and felt there was something down below in the canyon below. _If only…_

"You're right, Link." Arkil admitted, "Sorry." Arkil said nothing else, and Link's expression softened at the response. "If you think this is something you need to do yourself, then I trust you on this. I wasn't lying when I said you were a great swordsman, and you have your knight's test in a week." He signaled with his head, "If you think you need to do this, then go and prove you're ready."

"I won't let you down, Arkil. It's just…" Link paused, thinking of how to word it. "Whatever I saw, is pulling me there. And I intend to find out."

* * *

 **A/N: I appreciate the responses so far, and I'm definitely taking them into consideration.**


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